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Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Bees!

B.'s bees arrived yesterday. A couple of weeks earlier than we expected, so the bee enclosure isn't completely finished, but the hive is done. That's a good thing because bees don't wait and when they arrive you have to do something with them right away. Or so I'm told.

This is the package of bees. Three pounds worth. And yes, it's inside my house in this picture.

B. starting to put the bees into the hive.

I asked how you get the bees out of the package box and into the hive and B. told me you just dump them in. Watching him do it, it's more like shaking them in. The don't just fall out. I'm particularly amused by the faces of the audience in this picture.

Here's the package with most of the bees dumped out. B. used his gloved hand to scoop the rest onto the hive entrance. The bees are still alive today, based on the bees circling around the hive to orient themselves. B. is a little concerned about the queen, but has no way to check on her currently. I hope she is fine... though you can order new queens if necessary.

And a picture of L. (on left, before her hair was fixed) and G. as a reward for looking at the insect pictures.

Ann--I asked B. and he says that unlike wasps, honey bees do not go after people. Unless they are provoked or someone is messing with the hive, they pretty much leave people alone. Once the fence is up it will help remind small people who might let their curiosity get the best of them, to leave the hive alone. They will sting if they thing someone is endangering their hive.

I have to say, it's been really cool watching them from the kitchen window. The bees are currently making exploratory circles to orient themselves to their new location.

Aw, man! I was going to make a sassy comment about not thinking that fence would keep the bees in very well with those big gaps between the boards, but you went ahead and already explained the fence. Oh well.

It looks like a really cool project! We were supposed to get some foster bees on our property this spring, but the owner of them lost 4 hives this winter, so she does not have any to farm out now :(

You are lucky your city allows you to keep a hive. Our city just outlawed bees as livestock. Some neighbor complained about a lady's hive and how her kids might get stung by a bee living next door. Really. Because a bee would never come in your yard otherwise.

Our hive isn't too far from the house... B. says not to face the entrance toward pathways where people often walk. And he also says here in the upper midwest we don't have problems with Africanized bees. (I'm relieved; I didn't realize that was something I should be concerned about!)

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